Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'critic' holds immense significance in our society, often perceived with a mixture of apprehension and respect. A critic is an individual who offers an evaluation, analysis, or interpretation of various aspects in life, be it art, literature, cinema, or food. Their role is not merely to judge, but to enlighten, stimulate thought, and foster growth in their respective fields.
The cultural importance of critics is undeniable. They serve as a bridge between creators and audiences, helping us navigate the complexities of artistic expressions. They challenge our perspectives, encouraging us to think more deeply about the world around us.
Given the global reach of various forms of media, understanding the term 'critic' in different languages can be quite beneficial. For instance, in Spanish, a critic is known as 'crítico', in French, it's 'critique', while in German, it's 'Kritiker'. These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also provide insights into how different cultures perceive and value criticism.
So, whether you're a budding critic, a passionate language learner, or simply curious about cultural nuances, exploring the translations of 'critic' is a fascinating journey waiting to be embarked upon.
Afrikaans | kritikus | ||
In Afrikaans, "kritikus" also refers to a critical or judgmental person. | |||
Amharic | ሃያሲ | ||
The word "hayaśi" can also mean fault-finder or detractor. | |||
Hausa | mai suka | ||
Mai suka can also mean somebody who is partial or biased. | |||
Igbo | onye nkatọ | ||
The Igbo word "onye nkatọ" can also refer to "a person who makes suggestions" or "a person who finds fault". | |||
Malagasy | mpanao tsikera | ||
In Malagasy, "mpanao tsikera" also means "one who makes sharp remarks" or "one who speaks candidly". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | wotsutsa | ||
Nyanja wotsutsa, 'critic,' may mean 'one who finds fault' or 'one who is negative,' | |||
Shona | mutsoropodzi | ||
The word "mutsoropodzi" also has the alternate meanings of "fault-finder" and "one who points out mistakes." | |||
Somali | dhaliil | ||
The Somali word "dhaliil" is also used to refer to a "scholar" or "expert" in a particular field. | |||
Sesotho | nyatsa | ||
"Nyatsa" in Sesotho can also refer to a person who is overly critical or fault-finding. | |||
Swahili | mkosoaji | ||
The Swahili word "mkosoaji" can also refer to a "faultfinder" or "complainer." | |||
Xhosa | umgxeki | ||
The term "umgxeki" in Xhosa, meaning "critic," shares its etymological root with the concept of "protection," highlighting the dual function of critique in safeguarding values and challenging perspectives. | |||
Yoruba | alariwisi | ||
The Yoruba word 'alariwisi' also refers to a person who makes public announcements in the community. | |||
Zulu | umgxeki | ||
The word "umgxeki" is derived from the verb "ukugxeka", meaning to criticize or find fault. | |||
Bambara | kɔrɔfɔla | ||
Ewe | ɖeklemiɖela | ||
Kinyarwanda | kunegura | ||
Lingala | motyoli ya maloba | ||
Luganda | okuvumirira | ||
Sepedi | mosekaseki | ||
Twi (Akan) | ɔkasatiafo | ||
Arabic | الناقد | ||
The Arabic word "الناقد" (al-nāqid) originates from the verb "نقد" (naqada), meaning "to weigh" or "to scrutinize." | |||
Hebrew | מְבַקֵר | ||
מְבַקֵר derives from the root ב-ק-ר and shares a root with ביקורת (criticism) and בוקר (morning). | |||
Pashto | نقاد | ||
The Pashto word "نقاد" not only means "critic" but also "money changer". | |||
Arabic | الناقد | ||
The Arabic word "الناقد" (al-nāqid) originates from the verb "نقد" (naqada), meaning "to weigh" or "to scrutinize." |
Albanian | kritik | ||
The word "kritik" in Albanian, coming from Greek, can also mean "judgment" or "discrimination". | |||
Basque | kritikaria | ||
The Basque word "kritikaria" comes from the Greek word "kritikos", meaning "able to discern" or "judge". | |||
Catalan | crític | ||
The word "crític" in Catalan also means "critical", "important" or "decisive". | |||
Croatian | kritičar | ||
The Croatian word "kritičar" can also refer to a "review", or a "criticism". | |||
Danish | kritiker | ||
In Danish, "kritiker" not only means "critic" but also "reviewer" or "evaluator". | |||
Dutch | criticus | ||
The word "criticus" in Dutch can also refer to a type of ant, known as the "critical ant", known for its defensive and aggressive behavior. | |||
English | critic | ||
A "critic" is someone who gives opinions or reviews, but it originally referred to a person who acts as a judge in a court or contest. | |||
French | critique | ||
The French word 'critique' can also mean 'evaluation' or 'analysis'. | |||
Frisian | kritikus | ||
The Frisian word 'kritikus' can also mean 'judge'. | |||
Galician | crítico | ||
In Galician, "crítico" can also refer to a person who reviews or evaluates artistic or cultural works | |||
German | kritiker | ||
The German word "Kritiker" is derived from the Greek word "kritikos," meaning "able to discern". | |||
Icelandic | gagnrýnandi | ||
In Icelandic, "gagnrýnandi" also refers to someone who finds fault, an accuser, or a complainer, and can be used in legal disputes to mean a prosecutor or plaintiff. | |||
Irish | léirmheastóir | ||
Italian | critico | ||
"Critico" can also mean "perilous" or "critical" in Italian, highlighting the multifaceted nature of criticism and its potential impact. | |||
Luxembourgish | kritiker | ||
Krich means criticism in Luxembourgish whereas Kritik means the actual critic. | |||
Maltese | kritiku | ||
The Maltese word "kritiku" means "critic", and it likely comes from the French word "critique". | |||
Norwegian | kritisk | ||
"Kritik" in Norwegian is originally a Greek loanword that means "judge" and is used in this sense in fields like art, philosophy, literature, and history. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | crítico | ||
In Portuguese, the term "crítico" has the additional meaning of "urgent" or "severe" when referring to illness or health conditions. | |||
Scots Gaelic | càineadh | ||
Càineadh ('critic') originates from the Proto-Celtic *kanti ('song, praise, elegy') reflecting the dual significance of 'càin' ('song' and 'lament'). | |||
Spanish | crítico | ||
The word "crítico" in Spanish can also mean "critical" (as in "in critical condition") or "important" (as in "a critical issue"). | |||
Swedish | kritiker | ||
The Swedish word "kritiker" originates from French "critique", which evolved from Latin "criticum" and Greek "kritikós", both meaning "of judging". | |||
Welsh | beirniad | ||
The word 'beirniad' originally meant 'judge' in Welsh, and is related to the Irish word 'breitheamh', which also means 'judge'. |
Belarusian | крытык | ||
Bosnian | kritičar | ||
The word "kritičar" in Bosnian can also mean "judge" or "expert" depending on context. | |||
Bulgarian | критик | ||
В българския език думата "критик" може да има и значението на "съдия". | |||
Czech | kritik | ||
In Czech, "kritik" also means a "short written analysis, review, or commentary." | |||
Estonian | kriitik | ||
Kriitik also means 'a crisis' in Estonian, derived from the Ancient Greek 'κρίσις' (crisis). | |||
Finnish | kriitikko | ||
The Finnish word 'kriitikko' also refers to a 'reviewer' in a narrower sense. | |||
Hungarian | kritikus | ||
The word "kritikus" in Hungarian can also mean "critical" (in the sense of involving or exercising careful judgment or discernment). | |||
Latvian | kritiķis | ||
In Old Greek, "kritiķis" could also mean "judge". | |||
Lithuanian | kritikas | ||
The word "kritikas" in Lithuanian is derived from the Greek word "kritikos", meaning "able to discern or judge". | |||
Macedonian | критичар | ||
In Slavic languages, the word "критичар" can also mean someone who is prone to criticism, not necessarily a professional critic. | |||
Polish | krytyk | ||
In Polish, the word "krytyk" also means "crisis" and can refer to a critical situation or period of time. | |||
Romanian | critic | ||
In Romanian, "critic" is derived from the Greek word "κριτικός" (kritikos), meaning "able to judge" or "pertaining to judgment." | |||
Russian | критик | ||
The Russian word "критик" (critic) can also mean "judge" or "reviewer". | |||
Serbian | критичар | ||
"Критичар" derives from Greek for "judge" | |||
Slovak | kritik | ||
The Slovak word "kritik" also means "croaker" in English. | |||
Slovenian | kritik | ||
"Kritik" also means "criticism" in Slovenian. | |||
Ukrainian | критик | ||
The word “критик” also means “judgment” in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | সমালোচক | ||
The word 'সমালোচক' also means 'analyst' in Bengali. | |||
Gujarati | વિવેચક | ||
In Gujarati, "વિવેચક" can also mean an examiner, judge, or umpire, highlighting its diverse roles in evaluating or criticizing. | |||
Hindi | समीक्षक | ||
The word "समीक्षक" is derived from the Sanskrit word "समिक्षा", meaning "review" or "criticism" | |||
Kannada | ವಿಮರ್ಶಕ | ||
The word ವಿಮರ್ಶಕ (vimarshaka) in Kannada can also refer to an expert, judge, or analyst, highlighting its broader meaning beyond simply 'critic'. | |||
Malayalam | വിമർശകൻ | ||
Literally translates as 'one who distinguishes', 'വി' means 'to distinguish' and 'മർശകൻ' means 'a person who'. | |||
Marathi | टीकाकार | ||
The word "टीकाकार" (ṭīkākār) in Marathi can also mean a "commentator". | |||
Nepali | आलोचक | ||
"आलोचक" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आ" (a) and "लोचक" (lochak), meaning "to look at" or "to examine". | |||
Punjabi | ਆਲੋਚਕ | ||
The Punjabi word "ਆਲੋਚਕ" can also translate to "examiner", "judge", or "assessor" in English. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විචාරක | ||
The word "විචාරක" can also mean "investigator" or "researcher" in Sinhala. | |||
Tamil | விமர்சகர் | ||
The Tamil word "விமர்சகர்" derives from Sanskrit roots and can also mean "judge" or "assessor" in certain contexts. | |||
Telugu | విమర్శకుడు | ||
The word "విమర్శకుడు" (critic) in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "vimṛś" which means "to examine" or "to consider". | |||
Urdu | نقاد | ||
The word "نقاد" also means "money changer" in Urdu, as well as "the one who discriminates" in Arabic. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 评论家 | ||
The Chinese word "评论家" can also mean "commentator" or "reviewer" depending on the context. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 評論家 | ||
"評論家" literally means "one who discusses and judges". | |||
Japanese | 評論家 | ||
The Japanese word "評論家" (hyōronka) literally translates to "commentator" and can also refer to a columnist or essayist who provides opinions or analysis on current events, politics, or other topics. | |||
Korean | 비평가 | ||
"비평가"는 "평론가" 또는 "해설가"를 의미할 수도 있으며, "평가하다" 또는 "판단하다"라는 뜻의 한자 "評"에서 유래했습니다. | |||
Mongolian | шүүмжлэгч | ||
Originally "шүүмжлэгч" meant "one who scolds", but it evolved to mean "critic," in the academic sense, and "scolder". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝေဖန်သူ | ||
The word "ဝေဖန်သူ" can also refer to a person who evaluates or judges something, or to a person who finds fault with something. |
Indonesian | pengkritik | ||
The Indonesian word "pengkritik" comes from the Malay word "kritik", which in turn is rooted in the Greek word "kritikos","} | |||
Javanese | kritikus | ||
The word "kritikus" in Javanese also means "one who gives advice". | |||
Khmer | ការរិះគន់ | ||
Lao | ນັກວິຈານ | ||
Malay | pengkritik | ||
"Pengkritik" shares a root with "kritik", meaning "to sift, separate". Both descend from Greek's "krinein." | |||
Thai | นักวิจารณ์ | ||
In Thai, "นักวิจารณ์" also means "reviewer" or "commentator", and is often used to refer to individuals who evaluate and provide feedback on creative works. | |||
Vietnamese | nhà phê bình | ||
The word "nhà phê bình" literally means "house of criticism" in Vietnamese. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kritiko | ||
Azerbaijani | tənqidçi | ||
The word "tənqidçi" can also refer to a "reviewer" or "assessor" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | сыншы | ||
The word "сыншы" (critic) in Kazakh can also mean "advisor" or "judge". | |||
Kyrgyz | сынчы | ||
The word "сынчы" in Kyrgyz can also mean "reviewer" or "expert". | |||
Tajik | мунаққид | ||
The word "мунаққид" in Tajik is derived from Persian and originally meant "examiner" or "scrutinizer". | |||
Turkmen | tankytçy | ||
Uzbek | tanqidchi | ||
Tanqidchi is derived from the Persian word tanqid, meaning 'criticism' or 'critique', and the Uzbek suffix -chi, indicating a person who performs an action. | |||
Uyghur | تەنقىدچى | ||
Hawaiian | mea hoʻohewa | ||
'Mea hoʻohewa' is also a term for 'tool' or 'implement', suggesting that criticism can be a tool for improvement. | |||
Maori | kaiwhakawā | ||
Kaiwhakawā means 'critic' but also traditionally referred to a 'judge' or 'leader'. | |||
Samoan | faitio | ||
Faitio can also refer to a person who finds fault or complains. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kritiko | ||
The Tagalog word "kritiko" is derived from the Spanish word "crítico", which in turn comes from the Greek word "κριτικός" (kritikos), meaning "able to discern". It can also refer to a person who makes judgments or evaluations, not necessarily negative ones. |
Aymara | k’arisiri | ||
Guarani | crítico rehegua | ||
Esperanto | kritikisto | ||
Latin | criticus | ||
The Latin word "criticus" originally meant a "judge" or "one who examines". |
Greek | κριτικός | ||
The term 'κριτικός' in Greek can also denote a judge in a legal context, or an expert in a given field. | |||
Hmong | tus neeg thuam | ||
The Hmong word "tus neeg thuam" can also refer to a "judge" or someone who "evaluates" something. | |||
Kurdish | rexnegir | ||
In Kurdish, "rexnegir" not only means "critic," but also "judge" and "censor."} | |||
Turkish | eleştirmen | ||
The suffix 'men' in 'eleştirmen' carries the connotation of 'person', highlighting the human element in critique. | |||
Xhosa | umgxeki | ||
The term "umgxeki" in Xhosa, meaning "critic," shares its etymological root with the concept of "protection," highlighting the dual function of critique in safeguarding values and challenging perspectives. | |||
Yiddish | קריטיקער | ||
In Yiddish, the word "קריטיקער" can also refer to a person who makes a thorough analysis of something. | |||
Zulu | umgxeki | ||
The word "umgxeki" is derived from the verb "ukugxeka", meaning to criticize or find fault. | |||
Assamese | সমালোচক | ||
Aymara | k’arisiri | ||
Bhojpuri | आलोचक के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ކްރިޓިކް އެވެ | ||
Dogri | आलोचक | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kritiko | ||
Guarani | crítico rehegua | ||
Ilocano | kritiko | ||
Krio | kritik | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەخنەگر | ||
Maithili | आलोचक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀ꯭ꯔꯤꯇꯤꯀꯦꯜ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | critic | ||
Oromo | qeeqaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସମାଲୋଚକ | ||
Quechua | critico nisqa | ||
Sanskrit | आलोचकः | ||
Tatar | тәнкыйтьче | ||
Tigrinya | ነቓፊ | ||
Tsonga | muxopaxopi | ||